Prepreg is a fiber reinforced composite manufactured by combination of a fiber and a matrix of which the main constituent is a resin. Carbon fiber reinforced composites containing carbon fiber and resin are superior in mechanical properties and are widely used in general industrial application such as sporting goods, aircraft and automotive.
These carbon fiber reinforced composites are manufactured by arranging filaments of carbon fiber and formatting prepregs after impregnating a thermosetting resin into carbon fiber having alignment characteristics (forms such as fabric type carbon cross and continuous carbon filament).
Through a method of laminating and forming prepregs, Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (FRP) having excellent mechanical properties and stiffness can be manufactured. This method is, specifically, a method to make a Fiber-Reinforced Plastic prepreg by impregnating a thermosetting resin composition into a fiber-reinforced base material and by curing the thermosetting resin composition under heat and pressure.
Fiber reinforced composites need to satisfy a high quality standard because prepregs are used in manufacturing of the fiber reinforced composites. Preferred prepregs do not have a bad influence on physical properties such as shortened curing time and lessened tensile strength of the composites.
Especially, prepregs manufactured to reduce curing time under a lower temperature are preferred for manufacture of large parts because such low temperatures require less sophisticated heating systems, and much reduced energy costs. Therefore, particularly at low curing temperatures, it would be desirable to provide an advanced epoxy resin system that substantially reduces cure time below that of currently available prepregs.